Why older people in Cornwall don’t miss their younger years

Tuesday 17th October, 2017

If you’re under the impression that older people lament the loss of their youth, you could be in for a shock! In a recent survey by Westcountry retirement housebuilders McCarthy and Stone, late generation Cornish residents revealed more than 30 things they didn’t miss at all about their younger days, and reasons they love being more mature.

From the hassles of a working life to the trials of raising kids, the survey responses give some amusing insight into what we sometimes don’t realise to be the benefits of aging. Here are some of our favourites:

Things they don’t miss about working

We all have moments when we wish it was our time to retire. From the daily grind of traffic on the commute to our workplace to being forced to spend time with colleagues we probably wouldn’t choose as our friends, working full time is no walk in the park. Here are some of the most irritating things these Cornish retirees picked on, which they are more than happy to see the back of now:

• Being woken up by an alarm clock

• Having to be up and out at a certain time

• Spending five days a week at work

• Having to dress up for work

• Waiting for pay day

• Never having a lie-in

• Spending all day staring at a screen

• Enduring the commute

• Spending the week with people you don’t like

• Coping with a boss looking over your shoulder

If there’s one thing most people of working age could wish for, it would be more time, and that’s a given when retirement comes our way. Time, freedom and choices; things that are severely lacking during our hard-working middle years.

Things they don’t miss about family

We all love our kids, but sometimes they really do try our patience too. Even if it’s not the kids themselves, the hectic lifestyle that comes with them can be enough to wear you out. Here are some of the things these older people don’t miss about family life:

• Tidying up after the kids all day long

• Getting the children out of bed for school

• Ironing school uniforms

• Cooking big family meals every night

• Doing the weekly food shop

• Socialising with other parents

• Being the kid’s taxi / emergency break down service

• Juggling after school activities

• Packing for family holidays

• Balancing work and family commitments

It’s always sad when the day comes for our children to leave the nest, but at the same time, it’s the start of a new chapter for us too. As much as we’ll miss being hands on parents, we should also look forward to the prospect of a more selfish lifestyle where we don’t have to always put others first.

Things they don’t miss about life

Life in general can be tough, particularly when you’re young. From going on a disastrous date to nerve racking job interviews, life can be hard when you’re young and inexperienced. Here are some of the things this group of retirees in Cornwall definitely won’t miss about being younger.

• Sitting exams

• Financial worries

• Awkward first dates

• Not being confident in themselves

• Struggling to get on the property ladder

• Worrying about looks

• Worrying about what the scales say

• Doing DIY at the weekend

• Competitiveness among friends

As you can see, although aging has its own set of worries that come with it, there are things to look forward too. Here at Blenheim House, we want to reinforce the positive aspects of growing older, helping older people to see the good things that are left in life and helping them to enjoy the freedom and flexibility that comes with our later years.